An endotracheal tube (ETT) is often used in the medical profession to provide a direct pathway for air, oxygen, or other such gases into a patient's lungs. The ETT is inserted through a patients mouth and is positioned in the trachea a certain distance. As a result, a patient's lungs can be supplied with gas from a ventilator. Moreover, an ETT is often necessary when a patient is not spontaneously breathing in order to properly move gas into the lungs.
Upon insertion, an ETT will likely not stay in position due to various intervening factors. Such factors include back pressure from the ETT and the lungs which tends to expel the ETT. Another frequent occurrence is patient movements which tends to move or dislodge the ETT from its optimum position. If the ETT becomes dislodged, the patient's life can be endangered due to the lack of gas being supplied to the patient.
Accordingly, a number of devices have been developed which serve to hold an ETT in position. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,927,676; 5,306,233; 5,448,985; 5,490,504 and 5,501,216 each disclose devices for securing an endotracheal tube. However, each of these devices uses a strap which wraps around the patient's head or neck. Such straps can be hard to install and are uncomfortable for the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,636 discloses an ETT holder which attaches to the patient's face via a facial strip with a central opening. This strip encompasses the patient's entire mouth. A tube-attaching strap is used to wrap around the ETT and is permanently attached to the bottom of a tube support. The tube support, however, is narrow-based and thereby does not adequately distribute stresses across the facial strip. The facial strip also encompasses the patient's mouth, a feature that will likely cause discomfort to the patient. Further, the permanent tube-attachment strap allows little relative movement of the inserted ETT against the tube support which can also cause further patient discomfort. U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,882 also discloses an ETT holder which poses similar problems having an adhesive facial attachment strip and a permanently attached C-clamp or notched strap clamp for attaching the ETT.
Still other types of attachments include U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,356, which disclose a pre-cut anchor tape with an upper and lower portion for securing an intravenous catheter to the arm of a person. The tape strip is adhered to the person along an upper portion, and a lower portion wrapped around a catheter running over the tape. U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,339 discloses a universal clamp for holding an article to an object. The clamp includes a base strip which is secured to an object and a releasably attached flap is placed over the article to hold it to the base strip.
Accordingly, the known prior art does not disclose an easy to use ETT holder which will securely and yet comfortably hold an ETT inserted into the patient. What is needed in the field is an ETT holder which securely attaches to the patient's face, yet minimizes contact area and related discomfort for the patient. Also a device is needed with a wider-based support structure for attaching the ETT, thereby more adequately distributing motion stresses across the holder. The device provides firm securement of the ETT inside the patient, allows for patient movement, is comfort to the patient, and allows for quick detachment of the ETT for repositioning if necessary.